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Chapter Eight
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Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Newest Part
"I'm not sure I like the clothing," Qui-Gon Jinn quipped to his apprentice, leaning close to the younger man. "But I believe the hairstyle suits you. Or it will once you get it clean."
"Master, I only-" began Obi-Wan Kenobi, defensive.
"You felt that the braid would be too remarkable to anyone you might encounter outside of the stockade, and correctly decided that it had to go," Qui_Gon said. "This was entirely prudent, and I do not believe entirely presumptuous. As soon as we return to Coruscant, I will recommend to the Council that you undertake your tests."
Obi-Wan stared at his Master. "Truly?"
The older Jedi patted his shoulder and smiled. "Will our Gungan friend make it?" he asked the young Queen.
The next afternoon, the young Gungan awoke to find the skull-girl, minus her makeup, sitting by his bed. The lack of makeup neither surprised nor fooled him. Gungan visual perception didn't take color into account much - deep water made the light necessary for color differentiation very scarce. But this woman had the same face, he knew, and he said, "You the skull girl."
"How did you know that?" she asked, jerking back a little. She was dressed differently, and he couldn't see her hair, but he knew it was the same person.
"You look the same," he said.
She looked at him in bewilderment for a moment. "Pleased to meet you," she said, extending a hand towards him. "My name is Padmé."
"My name be Jar Jar," he told her gravely. "Me thinking you saved my life."
"And I think you saved mine, Jar Jar," she said.
"Boss Tarpals here?" he asked.
"Was Boss Tarpals the one that pulled you out of the hut?" she asked after a second.
"Yah," he told her. "He not here, is he?"
"No, Jar Jar," she said. She touched his hand, a feather-light brush. "He died there."
"Oh my meeee," he wailed.
The young Queen disregarded her duties for the rest of the day, talking with and comforting the strange alien that had come into her life.
"Queen Amidala," began Senator Palpatine. "The representatives of the Trade Federation have landed, and have been closeted with Chancellor Valorum for the past several hours. Please tell me you will be able to refute their claims."
"Perhaps," said the young woman.
"Perhaps?" he asked, his voice incredulous. "There has to be some way -"
"We have rescued a young Gungan that had been taken by the slavers," she told him. "And while his ability to recognize faces is, well, amazing, I doubt he would be able to differentiate between a human native of Naboo and one from, say, Coruscant."
"Then it seems to me a necessary thing that you should find proof of some sort, something more firm than one young Gungan's ability to identify a few humans that actually took him from his home."
"I agree, Senator," she said.
"I am sorry to be so abrupt, Your Majesty," the Senator said. "I understand how painful this must be for you. But you must understand -"
"I know exactly what is at stake, Senator," she said. "I believe that I understand this as thoroughly as you do."
The Senator smiled indulgently. "Of course you do. I am sorry to have impugned you."
"Queen Amidala," began Obi-Wan Kenobi. "You do not wear fury well."
"I prefer not to wear it at all," she told him. She prepared herself a glass of iced water and glanced over at him. "Jedi Kenobi, are you as 'nearly heretical' as your Master?"
"Perhaps," he allowed.
"I just - I sometimes wonder at our Senator," she said, swirling her glass. "He is incredibly charismatic, he knows all the right things to say, he... I don't know."
"You don't think he necessarily has your interests - the interests of your people, very close to his heart," Obi-Wan said.
"Jedi insight is really all it's said to be, isn't it?" she asked.
"Sometimes, Your Majesty," he allowed. "Sometimes."
"Does your insight lend me a way to find proof of our innocence?" she asked.
"I fear not, Your Majesty."
"Would you please refer to me as 'Amidala,' or even 'Padmé'?" she asked.
"Oh, no," he said, playfully. "I'd be much too intimidated to do that."
She laughed. The gay sound made him smile.
"Land your troops," said the senior representative of the Trade Federation over the comm unit
